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Global Conflict
The Global Conflict, alternatively known as the Total War, the Global Cataclysm, the Decade of Destruction, '''the '''Decade Crusade, ERA 09-55 Offensive or simply The War, was a prolonged period of high intensity military action that occurred in the mid-ERA 09th Century. Fighting on an exceptional, gradually increasing scale occurred across the Home continent, heavily involving the three superpowers; the United Republic, Heartland and Great Empire, as well as virtually all other countries and fighting forces - marking this as history's first Global Conflict. The War brought about many significant changes on the world stage, resulting in countries being established, divided, occupied, or wiped from existence. It stands as the most destructive conflict in the history, eclipsing the earlier, similarly unprecedented War of the Century, by an excess of tens of million of deaths. Although widely known as the ERA 09-55 Total War, the year in which the war finally involved all nations on the continent, the battle actually began in ERA 09-49, with large-scale conflicts occurring up to a decade afterwards. Therefore, the War is also infamous as the one of the longest running periods of sustained international violence ever seen, with some powers not relenting in their major offensive actions until ERA 09-58 and 59; fighting that started in the Global Conflict continued on the Zician peninsula well into the ERA 09-60s, as part of the Zician Incursions. Background The War of the Century (ERA 08-99 to 09-09) was formerly the largest and most destructive conflict since records began, in which all combatants suffered extremely heavily. In the final campaign of the nearly decade-long war, the Causewegian and Imperial armies crossed the border into Norta and secured the 500km2 region of Töbve from the Republic Forces routed from Causeway's own territory. Plans were immediately drawn up for a counteroffensive, but found their defeated army nearing breaking point - having left most of its heavy equipment behind in Causeway, and drained of most of its manpower and expertise after years of attritional warfare, these factors as well as pressure from the civilian population to end hostilities lead to the cancellation of the offensive, leaving the region to its new occupiers. The social unrest that had preceded the war had only heightened in its aftermath. The United Republic had shed three of its major frontier territories; Heartland, Varia and Robbiya, losing access to substantial natural and industrial resources thought necessary to the survival of the Federation. While this had somewhat fixed the overpopulation problem of the pre-war Republics, it had been left martially weakened and humiliated by the defeats, leaving the post-war megastate in highly volatile circumstances. The catastrophe lead to prolonged infighting as bickering states blamed each other for the crisis, and there was serious discussion of dissolving the Federation into individual nations. However, as the Republic rebuilt and resettled in its new boundaries, the blame began to shift outwards. Fanatical hatred for its perennial enemy, the Great Empire, would in time become redirected towards their diminutive and jealous ally, Causeway, and to the traitorous breakaway state of Heartland, which had stolen away much of the Republic's industrial might as a result of their revolution. This thirst for revenge, unquenched for the decades after the Republic's embarrassing defeat they spent restoring their armies, would in the eyes of its populace and the world, need to be sated. And to do that, the Republic had to be made whole again. Causeway, being a much smaller nation than the Republic, had been irreparably damaged by the war. It had seen its own share of internal strife post-war, caused by a loss of around 30% of its population. With its economy in shambles and its country in ruins, the armed forces were left to stagnate. Even as the Republic once again readied its forces for all out war, Causeway could muster little resistance. Still, the country had paid an incalculable toll for the only significant gain in territory in the theatre - the Töbve river basin. As the region from which the Republic launched its attack that started the War of the Century, the area was of great significance to the Causewegians. It was this pride that meant that in the latter years of the ERA 09-40s, as it became increasingly clear that a Republic attack into Töbve was coming, Causeway would throw its strength into defending the region, despite the overwhelming odds against it. The Republic formally demanded the return of Töbve on the 25th March ERA 09-49, the day Causeway had announced its occupation exactly 40 years prior. All foreign personnel were to leave the region within seven days, or face military action. Causeway refused, instead reinforcing its garrison and calling upon Imperial assistance. Töbve was of similar importance to the Imperial people, and so while the Imperial occupation force was bolstered with units transferred from elsewhere in Causeway, crack Royal Guard divisions were assembled and shipped across the Channel to form a reserve. Defenses were readied for the coming onslaught, expected on midnight on April 1st. However, as the sun rose the following morning, the front was quiet. To the horror of the Causewegian and Imperial troops massing in Töbve, the all out assault fell upon the center of Causeway itself. Course of the War Wollus On April 1st ERA 09-49, Republic troops streamed over the eastern border of the Free State of Wollus, a Causewegian protectorate to the direct north of Causeway itself. The country was believed by the Imperial-Causewegian coalition to be well defended, as its proximity to the Great Channel ports made the region a valuable asset. However, in the decades between the century's major wars, Wollus had made strives towards independence in light of Causeway's gradual societal decline. Therefore, very few coalition formations were tolerated in the country, with national security being primarily tasked to the Wollusite Defence Force. Considered comparable to the coalition's own forces in terms of training and technology, the force was ultimately swept aside in a matter of weeks as the Republic spearhead tore through the country. The day of April 4th ended with six out of the seven major ports in the country under UF control - within the week, Wollus was completely cut off from Imperial reinforcements. With the Defence Force contained, the Republic left flank was free to assist in the main attack against Causeway. Large scale paratroop drops, strategic bombing, and coordinated lighting strikes with superior mechanized forces gradually reduced Wollus' capacity to resist, and by April 30th they had requested an armistace. Causeway and Töbve Basin On the same day as the attack on Wollus, two simultaneous strikes were made against Causeway proper. The first came down from the northeast, dividing troops defending the western ports from the large formations assembled around the capital. The second struck further east, and was made to trap the enemy forces within Töbve and the southeast of Causeway. Belligerents Below is a list of nations involved in the conflict: United Federal Republics *Norta *Greenland *Drebland *15 other Allied States **Provisional Republic of Wollus (ERA 09-49 to 09-52) **New Robbiyan State **Varian Liberation Front (Allied from ERA 09-49, disbanded 09-56) Heartland *Heartland **North Zicia (Allied from ERA 09-50) **Wollus (Occupied from ERA 09-52) Great Empire *Aris *Aelborme *Azbarelle *Varia *2 other Lesser Dominions **South Zicia (From ERA 09-50) **Causeway (Allied until ERA 09-49) ***Causeway Separatist Force (Disbanded post-war) Zicia *Zicia (Invaded by Heartland and split into two states in ERA 09-50) **North Zicia (Annexed By Heartland ERA 09-50) **South Zicia (Established and allied with the Great Empire from ERA 09-50) Causeway *Causeway (Allied with the Great Empire. Defeated and occupied by United Republic in ERA 09-49) **Continental Army of Resistance (Established ERA 09-49) *Free State of Wollus (Defeated by the UF in ERA 09-49, defeated and annexed by Heartland in ERA 09-52) **Wollus Eastern Enclaves (Annexed by North Zicia in ERA 09-53) Robbiya *Robbiyan New State (Allied with United Republic. Actively hostile to the Southern Independent State from ERA 09-50) *Southern Independent State of Robbiya (Allied with Great Empire. Actively hostile to the Robbiyan New State from ERA 09-50) Main Doctrines United Forces Infantry The United Forces Infantry were, for the most part, well trained and armed. Before the War, the development and acquisition of automatic Weapons had become a top priority for the Territorial and Marine Forces, and new "Assault Platoons" were formed that carried only Sub-machine Guns and Automatic Rifles. Despite this integration of new technology, the long range platoons were still mostly equipped with antiquated bolt-action rifles, which would become even more obsolete during this period of conflict. The Republic Infantry also had an impressive tank-killing ability. Most regular units went into the ERA 09-55 Fighting already equipped with rocket launchers or recoilless rifles capable of taking on all but the most heavily armoured targets. The UF were at the forefront of Anti-Tank technology, and this lead to the copying of their designs by the enemy powers. Armour One of the main strengths of the UF were their Armoured Dominance. During the years leading up to the Total War, Tank designs in the Republic were being carefully refined and built up. At the outbreak of the offensive, few vehicles could stand up to the quality and quantity of the UF's machines. The UF tank tactics relied on small, fast moving groupings of tanks; either massing and punching a hole in enemy defences before moving swiftly on, or building up numbers of well armed machines to counter an enemy offensive. However, as the years progressed, the cost effectiveness of UF tanks were sidelined for better armament and protection, leading to the armoured forces being outnumbered by lower quality enemy vehicles. This lead to the formation of dedicated Tank Destroyer battalions. Air The Air Forces of the United Republic Military were somewhat lacking during the ERA 09-55 War. With fighters easily outclassed by other nations, the UF instead developed more effective ground-based Anti-Air weapons to keep the threat of enemy aircraft at bay. The small air force that they had at that time was often used in close coordination with ground or sea units for maximum effectiveness. Sea The United Forces' Naval contingent saw limited action during the Offensive. Most of the antiquated battleships and aircraft carriers were destroyed by the Great Imperial Navy, who engaged the UF ships infrequently throughout the war. Most of, if not all naval activity was launched with the aim of launching a seaborne offensive by the Marine Forces. Heartland Infantry Possessing a larger infantry contingent than any other power, the main strength of the Heartland Military during the ERA 09-55 War was the sheer numbers of soldiers they had access to. While not always well trained or armed with poor quality and obsolete weapons, the fitting, moving, reinforcement and revitalisation of the vast infantry horde was by ERA 09-55 an exact science, performed across all fronts in an effort to win a defensive war of attrition. Unlike the Heartland Regulars that made up most of the infantry fighting force, the elite Guard units were well trained, well equipped and had lots of combat experience. Their only similar attribute to the Regulars were their high numbers, and this veteran fighting force was both respected and feared by the hostile nations they faced. The Parachute Regiments, the Red Rangers, also had vast reserves and participated in many key battles during the war. Another key infantry resource was the vast number of Partizans that operated in Heartland territories occupied by the United Forces; militia groups made up of armed civillians, these formations would engage in a campaign of sabotage and guerilla warfare behind the enemy's front lines. Armour Akin to the Great Empire at the time, Heartland was way behind the United Republic in terms of the effectiveness of the Armoured Corps. Although fielding tanks in large numbers, some of which were more advanced than those fielded by the UF, a weakness in tactics lead to heavy losses and Heartland eventually transitioned to the formation of two distinct forces. The Main Tank Forces would have high numbers of cheap, quick to manufacture machines, which would, in a similar fashion to their infantry forces, overwhelm the better quality but less numerous UF Tanks with sheer numbers. The seperate Heavy Tank Forces would operate in small units of Heavily Armoured Tanks, who would seek out and destroy the more tough enemy armoured vehicles of the period, with the support of friendly infantry. For the most part, the destruction of enemy tanks were left up to dedicated Tank destroyer detachements, in the light of the initally lackluster effectiveness of the Infantry anti-tank guns. Over the course of the war, Heartland tank designs would improve, as evidenced by their quick adoption of the Main Battle Tank doctrine. Air The Air Forces of the Heartland Regular Army was a mixture of old and new machines. Like the ground forces, the main doctrine for the production of Aircraft meant that more machines were produced at the cost of quality and effectiveness. Designs improved over the war, but the Regular Army Forces were no match for the aerial dominance demonstrated by the Great Imperials. The Air contingent of the Heartland Defence Force, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. This mostly sea based unit relied heavily on the effectiveness of its air power to successfully complete their objectives, which was usually the holding of a key area, town or island. The fighters had the speed and armament to match the Imperial air force, whilst the fighter and torpedo bombers, in close coordination with ground and naval forces, were able to assist greatly in operations. Sea The Navy of Heartland was devoted to the movement of troops and supplies during the war, with specialist Warship and Submarine units protecting the Utility ships and the areas they operated in. Heartland was also the only nation to fight the Great Empire in Aircraft Carrier battles, which occured during the Imperial conquest of the Heartland North Islands. For the most part, the Navy was used only in support of either the Ground or Air Forces. Great Empire Infantry During early years of the ERA 09-55 Total War, the Infantry units of the Great Imperial Army were outmatched in numbers by the other powers, possibly because of the Empire's refusal to allow women into the Ground Forces. The army therefore relied on superior weaponry, training and tactics. This resulted in the relatively small infantry contingent to be a well trained and disciplined professional fighting force. Despite the intentions of having a technologically advanced ground component, the Great Empire fell behind in some key areas. While it was the first nation to issue semi-automatic rifles in large numbers, some parts of the military were underfunded. Even the elite Royal Guards only had access to outdated equipment, as in some cases, tactics and training was favoured even above essential kit. The state of the Infantry force is reflected somewhat in the Tank Force. Armour While no nation could truly match the UF in Armoured Warfare at the start of the conflict, the Great Empire was miles behind when it came to tactics and technology. The main doctrine of the Armoured Forces was the widespread employment of "Agile Tanks"; lightly armed and armoured vehicles, normally capable of high speed, would move slowly to keep pace with the infantry forces they were ordered to support, relying instead on AT guns and air forces to destroy any enemy armour. The Agile Tanks themselves were often of very poor quality. While they kept to their name of being fast if needed, they were often plagued with manufacturing and ergonomic problems, and resulted in a high production and repair cost. It was this cost that lead to both neglect of the tank corps, and the eventual revitalisation near the mid point in the conflict; a notable turning point was their rout against the United Forces in Varia in ERA 09-50. After that, the Imperials took to manufacturing high numbers of low cost medium tanks, akin to the armoured forces of Heartland. Air The skies before and during the ERA 09-55 Total War were largely dominated by the Great Empire. Highly funded above all other areas of the military, the Imperial fielded a great many different machines, and in large numbers. Equipped for any type of mission, the individual aircraft of the Air Force were considered to be more effective than any other power, matched only by the Defence Corps of Heartland. The Air Forces assisted greatly in most Imperial operations. For the ground forces, the destruction of enemy air defences were often given top priority, as the well supplied fighters and bombers operated around the clock in close coordination with allies to assist in key battles. Sea The Imperial Navy also enjoyed large successes at sea. While other nations were uncertain about the strategic value of operating an extensive naval force, the Imperials prized their seaborne forces on par with their air forces, and were the producers of some great innovations in naval warfare and technology. Although the Imperial's heaviest casualties were inflicted by Heartland, they never came close to the Great Empire's dominance of the sea. Timeline Below is a list of the major battles fought during the Global Conflict. *'Fall of Causeway' (April to July ERA 09-49) The United Forces launches its invasion of Causeway, a centrally-located independent country sharing land borders with all three of the main powers. The Causeway Armed Forces, in addition to the Imperial Royal Guard expeditionaries sent to defend access to the Great Channel, is defeated by the overwhelming speed and strength of the strike. The Imperials subsequently retreat across the channel. The victorious United Republic occupies the territory, integrating it into the boundaries of Norta, and prepares its forces for the next campaign against adjacent areas. The nearby Causewegian protectorate of Wollus capitulates, and the UF moves its troops against the Imperial perimeter of Varia. *'Battle of Varia' (September ERA 09-49 to July 09-55) Encouraged by their conquest of Causeway, the United Forces launch a combined air and land invasion of the Imperial territory of Varia. They succeed in taking carving a path across the country, thanks in part to the partisan and fifth column activities of the Varian Liberation Front, who seek partial independence granted as a member state of the Federal Republics. The defending Imperial forces are pushed almost entirely out of the country in the first few months, but generally manage to contain the attackers from reaching Imperial soil proper, and the offensive loses momentum. Circumstances become increasingly adverse for both armies over the course of the war; the UF Invasion of Heartland in ERA 09-52 is given priority in the two front war, critically straining logistics and resources in the Varian theatre, while the Imperials are restrained in their own confrontations with Heartland on the Zician peninsula and in the Great Channel. Eventually, over the course of five years, the United Forces' position in country is made untenable by the combination of Imperial amphibious and airborne landings along the Varian and Causewegian Coast and retreat to the mountains, beginning the Causeway Divide campaign of ERA 09-55. *'War in Wollus' (November ERA 09-49 to August ERA 09-52) The newly annexed minor power of Wollus was the target of a Heartlandian invasion in ERA 09-49, as the UF became increasingly embroiled in the conflict in Varia. Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered and outgunned by the relatively small force sent against them, the Provisional Republic initially managed to fend off Heartland's attempts at conquest. Intensity of the conflict waned as their attention switched to the annexation of Zicia, but after the UF's full-scale invasion against the Heartlandian homeland in ERA 09-52, regional activity flared up again. In reprisal of the United Republics' attack, the isolated Wollus was brutally crushed. *'Annexation of North Zicia' (January to June ERA 09-50) In an effort to match the United Republics' successful seizure of Causeway and Wollus in ERA 09-49, Heartland invaded the neighbouring independent province of Zicia in ERA 09-50, in order to expand its coastal territory. Heartland initially secures the northern section of the country, absorbing it into the Heartland Alliance. This area would later be established as the nation of North Zicia, and would remain under the occupation of Heartland for the next 70 years. With the assistance of native collaborators and conscripts, the newly formed Heartland Defence Force takes the lead in continuing the campaign against South Zicia. The drive south would be challenged by Zician military survivors, partisans drafted from the local population, and the Great Imperial military, rushed to the theatre after declaring their support for South Zicia. *'Battle for South Zicia' (June ERA 09-50 to October ERA 09-56) In the offensive against the remaining South Zician state, Heartland, the Great Empire, and their respective Zician allies face off in the jungles and cities of the country. The war goes on for many years before eventually reaching a stalemate, the front lines of which now form the borders of the splintered North and South Zician nations. Several campaigns are mounted during this period of the conflict in an attempt to break through the defensive lines of each other's armies, such as the naval campaign of the Battle of the Great Channel, but neither side could ultimately claim victory. *'Great Channel Campaign' (June ERA 09-50 to October ERA 09-56) During Heartland's conquest of Zicia, a naval campaign was launched to capture and occupy the many islands the Great Empire held within the Great Channel, in a move to cut off South Zicia from Imperial support. From the months of June to December ERA 09-50, Heartland won a chain of successive victories before the Imperials embarked on a counterattack to take back the islands. While their offensive was much slower than Heartland's island hopping campaign, the Imperials eventually succeed in reclaiming most of their territories, securing shipping routes into South Zicia, and allowing them to launch their a new offensive against the occupation of Causeway (See Causeway Divide). The Heartland Navy is almost entirely wiped out as a fighting force in the process. Fighting around the Zician peninusla pauses for a year as both parties lick their wounds. *'Far Eastern Desert Campaign' (November ERA 09-50 to March ERA 09-54) Imperial troops had been stationed in Southern Robbiya since the War of the Century, protecting its regional strategic and trade interests from the belligerent neighbouring New Robbiyan State. The theatre heated up considerably in ERA 09-50, when both UF and New Robbiyan elements attacked the de-facto colony in an effort to seize local resources and tie up Imperial forces from defending the homefront. Although severely outnumbered and under-supplied at the start of the battle, the Empire manage to stabilise and beat back the attacks. By ERA 09-53 the situations were reversed, and with the UF considerably weakened by its Heartland campaign it could not continue the assault. *'United Republics' Invasion of Heartland' (May ERA 09-52 to February ERA 09-56) The UF Forces attack the country of Heartland in an effort to eliminate them as a main power and occupying their territory in the centre of the continent. Although initially successful, capturing vast swathes of Heartland's territory, the advance gradually slows to stagnation. A Heartland counter-offensive, beginning in ERA 09-53, retakes most of the lost territory in the south and pushes back the United Forces, who finally withdraw in February ERA 09-56. *'The Intrusion' (January ERA 09-55 to ERA ~09-58) Known in the Empire as the Midfield Campaign. In a flagrant disregard of its neutrality, the Barbine Republic was invaded by military forces of the Great Empire, in an effort to strike the lightly defended underbelly of the United Republics' southern and western enclaves - finally escalating the conflict to a Global War by enveloping all the world's nations. The UF organises and marches its own troops into Barb to challenge the Imperial's generally successful drive across the the country towards the mountains of the southern Federal Republics. With the considerable Barbine Army opting to stand down rather than picking a side, a stalemate is ultimately reached, with the Imperial army eventually withdrawing to its own territory in order to concentrate its strength in the unfolding showdown in Causeway. Regarded by the major powers as little more than a drawn-out sideshow, this infringement of Barb's sovereignty was immensely costly for the native population caught in the crossfire. *'The Causeway Divide' (July ERA 09-55 to ERA ~09-59) In July ERA 09-55, the Great Empire launched a combined air-sea invasion of occupied Causeway in an attempt to win back ground east of the Great Channel and relieve pressure on the forces in Varia. In August ERA 09-55, the Great Empire followed the retreating armies of the United Republic from Varia into the occupied region of Causeway, and became embroiled in a massive conflict there. In January ERA 09-56, Heartland launched their own invasion of the area following the reverse of UF forces in the Heartland interior. The three nations entered into a bloody three-front battle over the region, with each side aiming to control the area entirely. The front lines changed rapidly over several months of bitter fighting, but as the Total War entered its seventh continual year, the effectiveness of all parties' armed forces was by that point reaching breaking point. By late ERA 09-58, the war had settled into a stalemate, and the prospect of the former country of Causeway being reunited as a single territory was rendered impossible. Its former lands, population and resources were split between the three nations: **In the south-west, the Great Empire holds a strip of land along the coast of the Great Channel, as well as the roads running through the Tummler mountain range between Causeway and Varia. **In the North, Heartland holds the canal-strewn Lira Lowlands and the fortified port of Waldirque (later renamed Stavira) within a salient on the edge of the Channel. **In the east, the United Republic maintains a heavily wooded and mountainous region known as the Poppy Line, as well as a small portion of the arid but resource rich Causeway Basin. **The centre of the county, left a barren wasteland as a result of three prolonged battles for survival spanning a half-century of conflict, becomes a no-mans-land. Populated by refugees and self-serving bands of hostile militants, the region sees constant anarchic fighting over the ruins of the country. Causeway as a recognisable nation ceases to exist. *'The March Uprising' (March ERA 09-58) Members of the North Zician Armed Forces (now under the control of Heartland), as well as elements of the Heartland Defence Force (a militia organisation comprised of Zician volunteers), revolt against their commanders after they reneg on various pre-war promises made to ensure cooperation. The mutineers manage to secure an area of the capital city of Kanunghlekin, as reinforcements from the Heartland Ground Forces are called in to extinguish the revolt. After a fortnight of vicious fighting, all resistance is destroyed. The failed revolution leads to the purging of the Heartland Defence Forces, and the occupation in North Zicia is strengthened; autonomy is reduced, and the population is heavily scrutinised. Meanwhile, the event leads to the newly formed North Zician Armed Forces only being provided with obsolete weapons, and the minimum resources to maintain itself as a fighting force. The weakened nation is coerced into continuing the fight against South Zicia and the Imperials, with both regular and irregular forces in the Interim Incursions of ERA 09-58 to 09-66. Aftermath Below is a list of major events that occurred as a result the Global Conflict. *Heartland expands its territory south-east. The territories of North Zicia and Wollus are absorbed. *The United Republic expands its northern territory, claiming a portion of Heartand captured during the UF invasion, which is added to the nation of Greenland. They also gain a segment of the former country of Causeway. *The Great Empire expands its territory in the South-East. In addition to reclaiming their own territories in the area, several islands within the Great Channel are captured from Heartland. A section of the eastern coast in the former region of Causeway is added to the Imperial lands. *Zicia as a country is split into North and South Zicia. The North is annexed by Heartland and added to the Heartland Alliance, while the South retains its independence with the support of the Great Empire. A Heartlandian-backed insurgency continues activity in the disputed areas of South Zicia for many years after the end of international warfare. *The United Republics' Armed Forces are significantly reorganised, now operating under a more flexible decentralised command structure. *The Causewegian army is defeated, and the country as an independent regime ceases to exist. Its territory is split between the three main powers, with a modest unoccupied zone in the centre dividing the opposing forces. *The Free State of Wollus is occupied and subsequently dissolved by Heartland. *The two major conflicting powers in the Robbiyan region are fragmented into eleven separate domains. Political unrest in the region is severely heightened. *The Barbine Republic maintains its armed neutrality despite the domestic turmoil caused by outside intervention by the Great Empire and the UF. *The intermediate calibre, select-fire assault rifle becomes the standard service weapon of most nations' armies. *Main battle tank become the mainstay of the armoured forces, replacing the medium and heavy classes of tanks. *Many special forces units are founded across the world in recognition of the importance of raiding operations, surgical strikes and deep reconnaissance. *The severe human cost to all nations leads to increased interest in alternative means to achieve global dominance. A section within the Heartland government begins research into atomic energy and its application in weapons of mass destruction. Category:Conflicts Category:Premier Timeline